Fox Sports Australia has co-opted multicultural free-to-air TV broadcaster SBS in the new $160 million deal for soccer coverage in an attempt to drive pay TV subscriber growth.

Fox Sports will retain live coverage of all A-League games, while SBS will also telecast live Friday night matches in a new four-year broadcast rights deal with Football Federation Australia starting in July.

SBS will also show on a one-hour delay all A-League finals matches plus Socceroos World Cup qualifiers.

“And hopefully if their [SBS’s] viewership builds up, people will want more. Because we have every game live, HD, no ads, on every device you can think of."

Fox Sports has been under financial pressure after a softening of pay TV carrier Foxtel’s subscriber growth. Fox Sports’ subscriber revenues grew only 2 per cent in the 2012 financial year, while earnings declined 2 per cent.

Mr Delany said
FFA chairman Frank Lowy
and former FFA chief executive
Ben Buckley
, who together spearheaded the negotiations, “took us right to the edge" and “I was at my limits".

The deal consists of $148 million in cash plus $12 million in marketing and promotional support from Foxtel. It is believed Fox Sports will pay almost $30 million in cash a year and SBS about $6 million to $7 million in cash.

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“Of course, we would like to have more but we are happy with the amount," Mr Lowy said.

The combined annual payment is almost double what Fox Sports is paying under its seven-year contract that began in 2005.

Mr Delany said the talks had been “tense" and that Fox Sports’ deal had essentially been finalised about three weeks ago.

It is understood the federal government took several weeks to ensure SBS’s commitments would comply with the new sports anti-siphoning legislation, which is yet to be re-introduced to the Senate.

Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy
said the deal was “fantastic news for football fans across Australia".

“This gives every Australian the chance to watch their football heroes on the platform of their choice," Senator Conroy said.

While Fox Sports previously owned all digital rights, under the new terms the FFA can show live on digital platforms the Friday night games plus the finals and World Cup qualifiers. The FFA can replay on digital platforms all other games on a 24-hour delay.

FFA chief executive
David Gallop,
who started this month after running the NRL, said the money would help A-League clubs, which have lost millions in recent years, to cover player wages. The FFA hopes to attract English star
David Beckham
to Australia after his LA Galaxy contract expires.